


Queen of Hearts

by terraformedArchangel



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Angst, Blood, F/M, M/M, Mentions of Violence, Sadstuck, Tears, also the karkat/terezi isn't flushed or anything it's just kinda, i'm really bad at tagging please forgive me, intense friendship, karkat says sorry a whole fucking lot, spoilers if you haven't finished the comic, this is shit don't read it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-03
Updated: 2014-08-03
Packaged: 2018-02-11 13:17:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,071
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2069694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/terraformedArchangel/pseuds/terraformedArchangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Her name is Terezi Pyrope, and she is dying.<br/>Your name is Karkat Vantas, and you are watching her die in your arms.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Queen of Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> basically i was sad and tired and then i listened to [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2U0Ivkn2Ds) and wrote this and i'm sorry that it exists oh my god
> 
> it's set on lofaf and i basically just ignored the existence of jane and aranea and everyone else so yeah ~~just go with it~~

Her name is Terezi Pyrope, and she is dying.

Your name is Karkat Vantas, and you are watching her die in your arms.

Gamzee’s gone; he’d disappeared with a honk, a skip and a jump as soon as you and Kanaya had tried to confront him. You really couldn’t give a shit about that asshole clown anymore anyway, because he’s the one that twisted Terezi and corrupted her, he’s the one that broke her down until she hated herself, he’s the one that picked up her own sword and stabbed her in the chest. You want to tell yourself that he’s the reason all this happened but you know that it’s your fault; you know that if you’d payed more attention you would have seen what was happening. You could have stepped in, stopped things before they went so far but you didn’t and now she’s dying and it’s your fault, it’s your fault.

You haven’t been flushed for Terezi for a long time, but that doesn’t mean you don’t care, doesn’t mean you don’t love her, love her in a way that’s different from how you love Dave, but no less intense. You’re filled with anger that Gamzee would destroy her like this – that you let Gamzee destroy her - and you try not to cry as you look down at her, your beautiful, dangerous, _wonderful_ Terezi.

“I’m sorry,” you choke out. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” You take her hand in your own and she squeezes it weakly. The red cloth wrapped around her eyes is wet, stained with tears. When she shakily exhales, little rivulets of teal blood run down her chin, bubbling around the corners of her lips. You wince when she inhales, a horrible, wet, sucking noise as she drags air into her lungs through the fluid in her throat and her chest.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Terezi, I -”

“No… Kar… Karkat…”  She smiles and you can see her, the real her, through the mask she’d created in the years on the meteor. Once upon a time she was the most open of you all but then she’d become like Dave, like Rose and Kanaya and yourself, hiding behind walls that she didn’t need. You wish you could have been there for her when she needed you, but you weren’t and now it’s your fault, it’s your fault.

“Terezi, Terezi, I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you, I’m sorry.”

“Karkat.”

“Terezi,” you whisper. “Terezi. You have to stay with us, we need you. Dave needs you, and the Mayor needs you and Rose and Kanaya need you and I-” Your voice cracks and you finish in a whisper, “-I need you.”

“Gam… Gamzee?”

“He doesn’t need you,” you say. “That douche doesn’t fucking deserve you.” You know that you don’t deserve her either, that asking her to stay is selfish because who’s to say you won’t fail her again in the future? Who are you to ask her to stay?

“Karkat…”

“We love you, Terezi. You have to stay here because we love you. The Mayor loves you. How can he expect to keep the peace in Can Town without his faithful Legislacerator? You can’t just- just go and leave the Mayor, Terezi.” She smiles at that, pained and faint but it’s still there, she’s still there.

“And what about Dave? Who else but you will appreciate his bullshit drawings?”

“And… you, Karkat?” Her fingers shift feebly; you brush your thumb over the back of her hand.

“I love you, Terezi,” you whisper. “Please don’t leave.”

 “Karkat, I… ”

 “You just have to hold on, Terezi,” you tell her. “Stay here because we don’t know what we’ll do without you.” You don’t know what you’ll do without her. She’s always been there.

She whimpers. “It hurts.”

“I know,” you say softly. “I know, I’m sorry, Terezi, I’m so sorry.”  She’s going to die and it’s your fault.

Your name leaves her lips, barely a sigh.

This is all your fault.

“Terezi… Terezi, please.” You press your forehead to hers and on her cheeks teal and red mingle.

“Karkat.” Her breath ghosts across your chin and the scent of her blood is heavy and metallic in your nose.

“Please don’t leave,” you say. “I’m not giving up on you, Terezi, don’t you dare give up. Just stay here, stay here with me. Please don’t leave, we need you here, we need you, Terezi, don’t go. Terezi, please, Terezi, Terezi…” Her hand is limp in yours and her chest is still; you pull her close and bury your face in her hair, breathing in her scent as your tears fall hot down your cheeks. You could have stopped this, if only you’d been faster, you could have saved her and she could still be alive. You rock her back and forth as if she is only sleeping, cradling her head to your chest because she’s gone, she’s gone; she gave up on you and now she’s never coming back.

You hear the faint rustle and thud of someone landing on the rock behind you and then the sound of metal clanging to the ground.

“Karkat? Oh God, Karkat, please tell me she’s not dead, not Terezi.” The pain in Dave’s voice makes you cry harder, unable to speak from the ache in your chest because she’s gone, she’s dead, she’s here in your arms and she’s dead. Your body is trembling with the force of your sorrow and you gasp wordlessly.

“No,” he says hoarsely. “Not Terezi.” He’s on his knees by your side and his shaking hands are holding the wound in her stomach as if trying to stop the blood but he’s too late, you were both too late. You failed her.

“Please, Terezi,” he chokes. “Please say something.”

Dave screams in anger when she says nothing and you never thought you would hear him so distraught. He folds in on himself and sobs, one of his hands clutching her shirt in a white-knuckled grip.

“No, no, no, no…” His voice is pained and broken.

“I’m sorry,” you rasp, although to whom you speak you do not know. “I’m sorry.” Dave’s other hand finds yours, fingers lacing together and squeezing tightly. You anchor yourselves to each other as you kneel over her body, comforting each other as much as you can both allow.

Side by side, you cry; Terezi’s knights, mourning the death of their queen.


End file.
